When you think about it, the internet and all that is shared on it is powerful.
Mainstream media now has competition with alternative news sites, as do governments.
People voice their opinions or share what they believe to be fact, whether it be in comments, on social networking sites, or in blog posts.
Anyone can be a broadcaster of sorts.
Today’s Lesson
The article titled, Secret Media War of 2012 states, in part,
Throughout the heyday of print media and radio and recently, even cable news, the job of the press has been to manipulate and control public opinion as well as voting blocks. The elites bought and controlled most media outlets and developed and promoted a controlled political opposition, on both the left and the right, that allowed them to set the parameters for discussion and debate.
That’s true. News, as well as other information, used to be (and in some cases, still is) manipulated and does not necessarily consider what’s in the best interest for the public.
Before the internet, all we had were TV channels, radio and print media to depend on and what we believed was often based on limited information.
In fact, if those in powerful positions didn’t want us to know additional facts, they weren’t published.
No one was the wiser.
Until today.
With the advent of blogs and social networking sites, the doors to information from all sources are now open and although at times it may feel like we’re being bombarded with too much data. we can pick and choose what to believe.
WE can make up our own mind, and not feel like we’re being brainwashed; not feel like we don’t have access to all of the facts.
Additionally, as bloggers, we have more information at our fingertips. More arguments to make. More ways to inform our readers.
And although we’re not technically journalists, we can broadcast newsworthy stories or share posts which can help others in unimaginable ways whether we have one reader or a million.
Today’s Assignment
Do you realize what you post can, and does have an impact on others?
Do you feel like a newscaster, or do you think what you publish is unimportant?
Care to share?
~Barbara
Hi Barbara .. good content, interesting and inspired content … and then you can decide where to go with it. One step at a time, start small and build up – there’s so much change going on … it’s almost back to the beginning to relearn everything – but content we will always have. Better to have quality content, and be an excellent blogger with outstanding etiquette … Like you my friend …
Cheers from a wonderful first day of Spring here in the UK .. sunny and relatively warm … Hilary
Thank you Hilary.
Yes. It is like relearning. That which we may have believed in the past might now be challenged. What I like about the changes we’re seeing is there are more choices and more opinions for me to consider before making what I hope will be an informed decision.
Barabara , you have said right that the situation of the information world is much more changed from older days. When I was kid i used to rely on TV and Newspapers and same was with my parents but now the things are much more changed. Although we are being bombarded with lots of information but it depends upon us which data to use and consider and which one not!! I am surprised to think that I haven’t watched the TV for news purpose since last 1 week because I read and watch everything on my Laptop.. this is one of the biggest change which I am experiencing now, it’s time to mark up the mind!
Hi Adrian,
It’s different now, isn’t it? Even if we get our news online, we have a lot more choices. I find it interesting how each “network” puts their own spin on a story. Then it’s up to the reader to decide what’s right for them.
Brilliant post, Barbara! More and more evidence of the kind of media control you mention is coming to light, and you’re right, no one was the wiser. So much so, that even confronted with the evidence that this is occurring, people continue to assign the traditional media outlets an inordinate amount of trust. This is disturbing. I think it’s incumbent upon us all to make sure information that otherwise might be suppressed or manipulated is shared.
Thank you Betsy,
I agree. If we’re online and find information which could help others or open their eyes to other possibilities, we should share it. Granted, not everyone will agree with what we’ve posted, but it will them other options to consider.
We still watch the evening news, but it’s balanced against other sources online.
I cringe a bit when there is a “story” on the news that is obviously slanted or when what is “just now” being reported is something that I saw hours or even days ago.
Do you realize what you post can, and does have an impact on others? Yes, and I try to make sure what I post is factual, though I don’t have a super large number of folks that read my blog.
Do you feel like a newscaster, or do you think what you publish is unimportant? No, I’m not a newscaster or any other kind of journalist. I also don’t think what I post is unimportant. It’s important to me, usually, and sometimes, once in a while, something I publish benefits someone else.
Hi Mike,
I agree. Balance is key. That’s one good thing about being online. We can not only see what’s being reported by mainstream media, but can also check the alternative news sites.
As for what we post, I’m like you. I want to be as factual as possible and although our readerships may not be large, I think our words can make a difference.
I don’t feel like a newscaster, although that is probably since I try to take more of a personal approach to blogging. Still I realize that the opinions I state can affect other people’s viewpoints. It is refreshing how we now have access to so many different perspectives. Until recently I was subscribing to the local newspaper, but I was just getting so sick of the constant bias in all the stories.
Hi Jeremy,
You’re right. Even as a personal blogger, what you post can affect the viewpoints of others.
Yes. It is refreshing how we now have new sources for information. In some ways it’s like being a kid in a candy store – and not knowing which one to choose. 🙂
I dont feel like a newscaster. I leave that stuff to other blogs like mashable and tech crunch. I just like to express my opinion and talk about things that matter to me instead of having to go with what others say. These days we all discover news on twitter and facebook before its broadcasted by news corps. The new media is changing the way we are exposed to and consume information. BTW I really like the design of your blog Barbara 🙂
Thank you Aliosha,
You’re right about discovering what’s new via online sources vs traditional media.
I remember a few years ago when I was on Twitter and learned about a small airplane crash. I kept checking the news to see when it would get reported and finally found the story hours later.
The way I see it, blogs are for opinions, not for news. My blog’s legal terms reflect that.
Hi Vered,
Yes. A lot of blogs only voice the opinions of the blog author, however even just reading the opinions of others can affect us.
Take for instance if you write about parenting. You might share how you handled a situation and another parent might be reading that and have a light bulb moment (never having considered doing the same).
Hi Barbara.
This is a great post! I don’t feel like a newscaster, but I’m beginning to feel like a teacher 🙂 I’m enjoying putting together grammar posts and knowing that I’m helping folk with them. I research each post carefully to make sure that I don’t post incorrect information.
As for the mainstream media, I don’t watch too much news or read the paper. I stay away from “rag magazines” and gossip as much as possible. One good thing that goes beyond choosing what to believe is choosing where you hang out online, with who, and what you read. Too much negativity, too much drama and too many protests, and I start to turn the other cheek.
Thank you Davina,
Like you, I feel more like a teacher than a newscaster which I think has a lot to do with our blog topics.
You’ve raised a good point about being online and how we can also choose who to friend or follow. And with just a click we can also “turn them off” or “switch channels”. 🙂
Great post Barbara,
I have really gotten into the research these days on line and through multiple sources because I was sure that folks were being manipulated by the Congressional war on women’s health going on.
Since so many of these items under attack were what I worked on for 35 years I was very interested.
What I have uncovered is rather amazing and I am working on writing about it for my post this week, I do not want to be a newscaster but rather I wanted to understand the sexism, bullying and anger behind this work and the media was only teasing my need to know.
I love how I can dig deep and follow through just like journalists, and I enjoy not taking any short cuts….I have been to the State Library 4 times, the Library of Congress and visited with 3 lawyers to get some truly satisfying answers.
I have been disgusted with so much of what is out there and around – and been amazed at the trail of the massive checks.
I have come up with a very different answer that I thought I was going to find. But I know I do not want to return to the 16th Century any time soon. I just don’t think this is such a spectacular time to be alive ( except for researching) and I certainly think the 1950s, 60’s and early 70’s were much more creative, innovative, and humane than what we are currently experiencing. History is repeating itself – and it is really a pity
Hi Patrica,
It’s fun researching, isn’t it? We never know where we’ll end up nor what we’ll find. Oftentimes if we follow the money, we get to the core issues and why individuals are promoting them.
In some ways it seems like things were “better” in the earlier years, but I ask myself, “were they better or were people happier because they didn’t know what was going on “behind the scenes?”. Too much information can be overwhelming, too.
Happy researching! 🙂
I love this, Barbara. These are things that I’ve been pondering for a while now. Nice to see that others are thinking along the same lines. 🙂
Do you realize what you post can, and does have an impact on others? I’m counting on it. What I’m doing would be meaningless without the input of others. I like the idea of reminding others that they CAN think for themselves with insights of my own. Do they agree with what I have to say? That’s fine. Do they disagree? Even better! We should all be challenged to not merely consume our media, but to actively engage with it!
Do you feel like a newscaster, or do you think what you publish is unimportant? I’m no newscaster, just a person who scribbles stuff on a page. I never feel it’s as important as my ego wants it to be, but it must be important to me nonetheless. I wouldn’t keep doing it if I felt it wasn’t. As for how important others deem my efforts to be… well, I can’t help that, so I have to leave well enough alone and just keep going as I am. 🙂
Thank you Tony,
That’s true. “We should all be challenged to not merely consume our media, but to actively engage with it!”
Your words remind me of how some people complain about governmental issues or politicians but they don’t vote. Although at times it might feel like our votes don’t matter, I’ve see several elections of both politicians and issues which were so close they needed a recount.
Of course our posts have impacts on others – and many, we hope – to positive ends.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to create personas for personal agendas and self-promotion. There’s nothing wrong in that per se; but what it people rely upon what you write as though you are an expert? What if you present yourself as such? What of the many voices that mislead for a variety of reasons in these days of non-vetting?
There is where “blogging with integrity” matters. But more than that – any online writing. It’s about trust. And it remains a dilemma.
http://dailyplateofcrazy.com/2011/07/19/appealing-to-audience-appetites/
Hi BigLittleWolf,
You’ve raised a very important issue. Although some bloggers may not feel what they share is important, readers might assume what’s been published is “the truth” and then act on it.
I like your idea of “blogging with integrity”. Not only could that help a blogger become “an expert” of sorts, but the internet would be improved at the same time.
Great post Barbara!
With the presence of different social networks today and the easy access to them with different gadgets, etc., the world is getting smaller and communication is faster than one can imagine few years ago.
Every people can now be a journalist, a broadcaster, an inside reporter or just a celebrity overnight through Youtube. Information about almost anything is just a click away. If you tweeted that your dog got pregnant today, everyone across the globe knows it in just split seconds.I just can’t imagine what’s in store for the future in terms of communication over the Internet.
Regards,
Blake
Thank you Blake,
You nailed it. The world is getting smaller and communication is getting faster. It’s mind boggling.
And yes, anyone can be a broadcaster, whether it’s a teenager or a 90 year old. Amazing!
I don’t feel like a newscaster, as my blogs are in a different niche. But I really feel a pressure on my shoulders, as I have to come with instructive tutorials every week as to fit the needs of my readers. In addition, the information should be accurate, otherwise people would lose money and waste their time because of me.
Hi Jack,
It sounds like you’re blogging very responsibly.
That’s a good point about how your readers could lose money or waste time if what you share is incorrect. Not only that, but you could also lose your “title” of being an expert in your field.
Hi Barbara,
I agree. It is still up to us to choose what to believe and in this day and age I think we are lucky to have access to all the information we need. We are in a much better position than the generation before us I guess because now we don’t have to believe everything we see in the news. I don’t have a blog but I do like reading them so yes I think bloggers have an impact on their readers and that they should believe that what they’re writing is important. Anyone who has a gift in writing should feel this way.
– Cristina
Hi Christina,
We are lucky, aren’t we? With the internet and freedom of speech, not only can we listen to what other people think, but now have access to more of the facts, enabling us to make knowledgeable decisions.
P.S. I also agree – what bloggers are sharing IS important. 🙂
What a great post! Barb, you and I have “chatted” before, and I know we both agree on the manipulation issue – or control maybe? What amazes me is the amount of folks that don’t get that, or at least don’t want to “believe” it.
I’m thrilled to be in this information era and I love being able to research and dig to see the many faces of an issue. It is always up to each individual to decide for themselves what the “truth” is about anything . Some issues/things are based on so much scientific evidence that it would be borderline insanity not to see it.
What I’ve found, over and over again (unfortunately ) as it relates to food at least, most people don’t want to hear they are eating a self-destructive diet, or that they are addicted to foods. I had 2 30-yr olds tell me they could eat absolutely anything (and did) but had perfect health so obviously I was full of ….it. I get this a lot. I gave them my warmest smile and said “May your good fortune continue”.
As for news – I think the stories they manufacturer are meant to confuse people about health issues and “they” certainly kill any stories about alternatives working, but rather slant them to make the holistic ways appear as some crazy hippie nonsense. Well they have to really. The FDA’s declaration “Only drugs cure diseases” is a tough insane statement to make people believe, well, some people 🙂
Hugs
SuZen
Thank you SuZen,
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said they (generally speaking) “don’t want to believe it”. After all, if we’re content with our current lifestyle (even if we’re making poor choices), why would we want to change? Plus, in the case of medical professionals or governmental agencies, it’s frightening to think they might be “feeding us” incorrect information. It’s like if we can’t trust our doctors or government, who can we trust?
In some ways I think researching issues is where we start getting into information overload. So instead of becoming knowledge and being our best advocate, we give that power away to others and become sheeple. Sad. 🙁
Barbara,
I ran across a blog post from the World Bank the other day that is a journalists assessment of the power they have to shape opinions, seems it coincides well with yours.
Here is the link if interested:
http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/smoke-without-fire-look-influence-trust-and-media-built-perceptions#comment-5259
Thank you David,
I read the post you linked to and liked what was shared. I found it interesting how opinions are formed based on not only which country people live, but where they get the information.
To be honest i found that my posts on the Internet don’t have any effect on anyone expect my small community of readers which doesn’t contain any superstar to my knowledge.
And I agree people do have to make up their minds!
Hi Shaquille,
Although you may feel you don’t have any “superstars” reading your posts, the way I see it is, if it’s online, what we share can have an affect on anyone.
Agree completely, it’s important to have a message and try and blaze your own trail through the net, that’s what it was invented for!
Hi Dollars Per Day,
Yes. Blazing our own trail is what its all about and hopefully before we hit the “publish” button, we’re aware what we say could possibly reach millions.
Replying who said that blogs are for opinions, not for news,
I’d like to say that also opinions could be news.
Thank you Barbara for your brilliant post.
You’re welcome Vittorio,
Yes, in some cases, opinions can be news, too. Plus, the opinion of one blogger could influence many more.
The way i see it why the news manipulate of media is because of many opportunist politician. Media take advantage of their freedom of speech to fight for the right of individuals and community.
Hi Becca,
You’re right. Mainstream media is often manipulated. For some politicians, it’s to their advantage, whereas for others, mainstream media can help to create their demise.
I agree completely that we’re in an era like none before it — it’s an exciting time. The cost to publish and reach thousands and thousands of people has basically gone to zero with sites like facebook and twitter. Get out there and change some minds, inform, and be great!
Hi Jason,
I’m with you – this is an exciting time to be online. As you said, not only can we change some minds, but we have the opportunity for greatness.
I won’t think that the audience weren’t manipulated nowadays… We’ve been always manipulated but today it happens with high-tech tools. The social media could be manipulated as well. Call me paranoid but I think so…
Hi Julie,
You’re right. It’s not just mainstream media where we see manipulation, it’s on social media sites, as well. I believe that’s where we need to be even more cautious and think twice before we voluntarily share personal information.
“Do you realize what you post can, and does have an impact on others?”
Oh, Good Lord….NO!
Hi Friar,
It’s true. Sorry! 🙁
My blog’s tagline says, Commenting at the heart of technology. and i completely follow that. Sometimes, people might not like what i am writing, but i am consistent with it and i keep writing my content. My blog has recently gained a bit of popularity and i am loving it..
Hi Prithvi,
Congratulations on the growth of your blog. From the sounds of it, not only is your consistency paying off, but you are being viewed as an expert in your field. Great job!
The Internet certainly gave the other forms of media a competition because it paved the way for so many things such as social interaction without barriers and citizen journalism. It seems that anyone can be a journalist because of the internet. But I guess we fail to forget that ‘ Great power comes great responsibility.’
I think and believe that my posts somehow make an impact to anyone who can read it, may it be on Facebook or in a blog. It is just a matter of acceptance of the reader’s part that what they read is of the writer’s opinion and that they need to respect that. And everyone of us has the choice to read or ignore posts and articles that we don’t want to read. Respect that is. Thanks and nice post. 🙂
You’re welcome Diana,
You’re right. As readers of blogs, we do have a choice to read or ignore what’s being shared. That’s not to say what the blog author is sharing isn’t important, rather it may not be something we’re not interested in.
I find this to be a crux of much of the content being generated on the internet today. Too many people type before they think. A blog is not a hall pass to spew nonsense and hate and misinformation to the world; you need to take care, fact check, and provide valid, informative thought with your content. People still DO read content online with the assumption that everything is true ( though thankfully I believe that assumption is fading, much to the benefit of human society ), and you do hold a kind of responsibility to readers.
Hi Robert,
Unfortunately there are thousands of blogs online with inaccurate information, but like you said, bloggers should take responsibility for what they’re publishing. I think if more bloggers did (take responsibility), we’d have a “cleaner” internet and blogs and bloggers would gain more credibility.
You are right Barbara. I think we are making progress on that front. Readers, and writers for that matter, are getting more and more privy to the idea that published blog content is not necessarily gospel, and should be taken with a bit of research, corroboration. As we continue to evolve with our understanding of our interactions online, we will rid ourselves of this unfortunate trend of misinformation which gets perpetuated as fact throughout the internet.
In all honesty I do believe whatever a person writes, wherever that article gets published it does influence the readers in some way or the other. Also, although it is the wisest thing to double check watever a person reads, in reality a lot of people do not have the time to do that. Blogs-where writers are expressing their honest personal views-are often mistaken as concrete readily acceptable information. Reason why I always make sure that I write on topics I have knowledge about and can carefully research on.
Hi Gerald,
Yes. Time is often the excuse some bloggers use for not double checking the facts. Granted, the reader should also double check, but I’ll bet time is one of their excuses, too.
I like your idea of blogging on topics we’re familiar with. Not only do we often have experience to fall back on, but we also have knowledge of what’s factual.
I agree with you. People in position get control over the subordinate. They just published if they get benefits from them. Politics is always happening in this word started from small group top biggest organization. Its so sad but that’s the reality in this world.
And Im proud to some people, who stand for the righteous. Thank you Barbara…very inspiring.
Yes the days have changed and Internet technology is in rapid use .As a blogger I believe the updated quality information interests the readers to respond.I like lots of information technology and health related articles on the internet.The best part about internet is we get lots of information and we can choose what is required for us.
With the internet, the world is flat. We are now in the information age. It’s an exciting period, promotes free expression and many do that through social medias, blogging platforms. And the internet is another source where you can get support and encouragement – forums, youtubes . Research is so much easier now compare to a generation back.
Hi Henry,
It does feel like the world is flat, doesn’t it? And smaller, too.
Yes. Research is easier these days. With just a few clicks, not only can we check facts, but can often find numerous sites which validate our findings, too.
You have a great point what we blog does and can make a difference. That’s the whole point… right?!
At the moment we are focusing on being informative rather than opinionated so hopefully we are helping to solve problems or help people find their way with technology. 🙂
Thank you Dan,
What you said reminds me of how the internet is sometimes called “the information highway”. Although some bloggers share opinions only, other blogs can (and do) become the “go to” sites for accurate information.
It’s true, with the advent of blogging and social media, anyone can be a broadcaster of sorts and information can be manipulated in any way possible. The internet provides so much freedom of expression and we should both be responsible bloggers and readers. As bloggers, we should only write about a topic that we have enough knowledge on and can present fairly. As readers, we should be able to assess and compare information properly so that we will know what is really true.
Hi Mae,
I’m with you. Both bloggers and readers have responsibility. That said, with bloggers having their words published online and sometimes being seen as fact, I feel more responsibility lies with the blogger.
Haha, maybe I’m egotistical, but I wouldn’t post what I post unless I thought it was important. Or maybe, not important, but relevant to someone’s life and interests. I always remind myself that even if no one else wants to read it, I’ll always have at least one person that wants to: ME. I’d like to think that there’s not just one person who likes the stuff I write and so I’m not alone in the universe. If I consider it important enough to take the time out of my day to write about then I hope that it has an impact on someone’s life.
Hi Paul,
I like your attitude and what you said is often why bloggers don’t start a blog – because they don’t feel what they have to share is important. However, as you said, if a topic is important to you, chances are it will be of value to others, too.
There was limited access for common man to express his views about any social issues, but blogging made it easy, now one can express his views. Through blogging when a number of people worldwide gather to express like viewpoints on an issue, it helps in collective ventilation. I think, we have the best opportunities to take advantage of blogging, thanks for the wonderful content.
Hi David,
You’re right. In the past we were limited to newsworthy stories. Like you mentioned, blogs have changed the landscape allowing us to not only hear different viewpoints, but share ours, as well.
The technology and latest trends has made it easy to share news, and other contents over Social sites, etc. It feels really good to share info over my friends through Social Networking Sites and how we give comments over a particular topic. Thank you Barbara for an insightful topic too.
Interesting facts, and yes you helped me open up my mind. Therefore, I conclude that posting in any blog or social networking sites must be informative and have sense. Especially now, Facebook in exact is the best way to spread a news.
everyone is entitled to there own thinking and no one is capable of stopping someone’s idea. The internet has been a huge tool and resources that anyone would love to use. Plus it’s a great help when it comes to school and work related stuffs.
We tend to rely on what we believe from others but we must also know when to limit researching some thoughts instead think of whatever you have in mind. We must trust what we think is right and must decide what to believe in because not all thoughts in the internet are not that really useful.
Internet is a booming technology by which I can gain lots of information and it is upto me what I wish to access.As bloggers we can share updated information that interests our readers.Before the invention of internet we had to rely on print and press media for any kind of information, which is not the case in today’s world.
Excellent article….!!!! I seriously believe that media has to play a very important part in our society but it is often noticed that they manipulate content and support a particular agenda or person.